Forest Dunes by Elliott Beach Rentals

We were woken on our first night by a random drunk man who got into our unit. We had to push him out, and his code worked on our door. That was VERY SCARY, especially for anyone with kids. We called, and they said a supervisor would reach out at some point. Nobody did, so we called again and got a new code. That still doesn’t change that a random drunk was given access and our safety was at risk. We’ll never stay here again. Before the trip, I had to call several times about the reservation. They said they’d refunded me, but no refund came through. When I called again, someone else said the system showed it as refunded, but it hadn’t actually been processed. The day before our booking, we called about the codes. A different woman said we wouldn’t get them until we signed a new rental agreement, even though we’d signed one months earlier. I’d also called a few days before to pay for early check-in and was told the unit code would arrive at 10am. On arrival day, there was no code. Another woman said it could come anytime between 10am and 1pm, which wasn’t what I’d been told when I paid. We had to wait with our luggage until we could get into the unit.

This is my second stay here, and we love the place. The rooms are lovely, with huge windows, and very clean. When we needed maintenance, they came right away.

Forest Dunes is decent, in a quieter part of MB, but it wasn’t exceptional. The elevators had been updated and worked great. In March 2016, the indoor pool had things floating in it and wasn’t cleaned well. The pool-area fan was very loud, and the cleaning chemicals were strong around the lobby pool area. The outdoor pools also weren’t heated all winter, even though our booking company assured us several times that they would be. There’s no office onsite if something needs attention. Since each unit has a different owner, condition and decor can vary a lot.

We booked a three-bedroom suite at Forest Dunes six months ahead for a family vacation. Four days before we arrived, they called to cancel because the owner was selling the unit. Their fix was to put us in separate one-bedroom units, which wasn’t ideal but left us little choice so close to the trip. Room 308 was dusty, with dated furniture, a broken microwave, broken fridge shelves, and no broom for a simple mess. With a six-year-old along, basics like a working microwave matter. Management never answered our emails, texts, or calls about the problems. The reservation was cancelled four days out, the accommodations were downgraded, the unit was dirty with broken appliances, and the resort didn’t respond. If this is how Forest Dunes treats guests who book six months in advance, I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere.